The Fine River Changed Very Soon Into A Salt Water Creek,
Coming From South By West.
We passed some very beautiful rocky lagoons
under the abrupt terminations of low sandstone hills, which were openly
timbered at the top, but surrounded by thickets of the little Severn
tree.
The box-tree grew on the flats which separated the ridges from the
creek, with the small bread-tree, the bloodwood and pandanus. As the
Mangrove disappeared, the drooping tea-tree took its place. Several rocky
bars crossed the "Yappar," which seemed to be the name by which the
natives called it; but only one was broad enough to allow us to cross
safely with our horses and bullocks. Here our black friends took their
leave of us; they seemed very desirous of showing us their whole country,
and of introducing us to their tribe, which was probably very numerous.
After crossing the creek in lat. 17 degrees 54 minutes or 55 minutes, and
longit. 140 degrees 45 minutes approx., we travelled due west, and came
at once into an undulating hilly country. The hills were composed of
iron-sandstone; their summits were generally very openly timbered with
apple-gum and a new white-barked tree; but their bases were covered with
thickets of the little Severn tree. The intervening flats bore either a
box-tree with a short trunk branching off immediately above the ground;
or a middle-sized tea-tree, with a lanceolate leaf, or thickets of
stunted tea-tree. We travelled full thirteen miles without water, or any
decided water-course. We passed several dry water-holes shaded by the
broad-leaved Terminalia; and saw many Acacias twenty-five and thirty feet
in height, with a slender trunk, and an elegant drooping foliage: it very
much resembled the Acacia of Expedition Range; but the drooping habit and
more distant leaflets of its bipinnate leaves, showed at once their
difference. We had travelled five hours and a half, and Mr. Roper rode up
to me several times, to complain of his inability to go any farther. I
encouraged him, however, and at sunset, we reached a creek, but it was
dry; and, although we travelled until dark along its winding course, and
saw many deep holes on its flats, and although fresh burnings showed that
the natives had been there, yet no water was to be found, and we were
obliged to encamp without it. We, therefore, hobbled and tethered all the
horses, and watched the bullocks. Charley followed the creek for some
distance in search of water, but returned without finding any.
July 21. - When Charley was riding after our hobbled horses, he came, at
about two miles N. E., from our camp, to another watercourse, with well
filled rocky water-holes. When he brought this welcome intelligence, we
immediately loaded our bullocks, and moved to these water-holes; on which
it appeared some natives had encamped very lately. The country around was
broken and scrubby; but in general it was well-grassed, with a sound
soil.
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